The Star Host (Broken Moon Book 1) by F.T. Lukens

Author:F.T. Lukens [Lukens, F.T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781941530733
Publisher: Duet, an imprint of Interlude Press
Published: 2016-03-03T00:00:00+00:00

9

Ren soon learned where the stereotype that spacers were nuts came from. Space was… boring.

Ren met Lucas, the pilot and navigator, and Ollie, the procurer. Ren didn’t quite understand Ollie’s role, other than as Penelope’s brother, but apparently he had connections. Both were nice, if a little intimidating. Lucas was incredibly smart. Thin and willowy, Lucas wore goggles atop his light brown hair for no discernible reason, and no one mentioned why. He liked to talk about navigation and old holovids, and he could do so for hours. Ren understood how Lucas and Penelope had gravitated to each other. Ollie, on the other hand, was quiet. He was so tall he had to duck to maneuver around the ship. His muscles had muscles, and Ollie and Asher spent time in the hold working out together, betting who could do more pushups. Ollie always won.

Ren didn’t steer clear of Ollie and Lucas, but he preferred to interact with Asher or Penelope. He didn’t feel uneducated or pathetically small around them.

Over the next week, Ren developed a routine. Every morning he’d wake at the same time. He’d wash, get dressed and then walk to the kitchen and have a cup of tea and jam on toast. Asher was usually there, and they’d banter back and forth before Asher went to do whatever it was he did. Ren would meander down to the engine housing. He’d press his fingers against the casing, take a quick look around and make sure everything was running optimally. If it wasn’t, he’d fix it with a tug or a push or whatever was needed.

Following Rowan’s instructions and his own instincts, Ren didn’t broadcast what he was. Asher knew. Rowan knew. For Ren, that was enough. He didn’t lie, but Penelope never asked and Ren didn’t offer. When he talked with Penelope, while idly swinging in the hammock that was strung across the corner of the supply room, it was usually about his village. She’d never been to a planet and found Ren’s stories of lakes and forests and dirt as fascinating as he found her stories of drifts and ships and stars.

When she wasn’t available, Ren would read the book he’d found or a technical journal Penelope kept on hand. Or he would go to the bridge, sprawl in the captain’s chair if Rowan wasn’t there, and stare out of the view screen, marveling that he was finally in space. Sometimes, he’d assist Ollie and Lucas with small tasks or nap before heading back to the common area to meet with Asher and play a board game.

Ren drank tea and Asher guzzled coffee, and they both complained about Ollie’s socks since he had taken to walking around without shoes. They bickered over whether to play the games with regular rules or with ones they made up. Asher always preferred the former while Ren preferred the latter, but it didn’t really matter since Asher always obliterated him anyway.

“You really have no concept of strategy,” Asher said, as they played chess.

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